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This Day In Sports…February 5, 2006, 20 years ago today:
As the Seattle Seahawks prepare for Super Bowl 60 on Sunday against New England, the spotlight has been on their gaffe at the end of Super Bowl 49 against the Patriots, not their rout of Denver 12 years ago—and certainly not their first trip to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. That one was almost as painful as Malcomb Butler’s interception of Russell Wilson. And it’s because, to this day, many believe the Seahawks were the better team.
Seattle’s Super Bowl debut was undone by bad decisions, bad calls, and bad karma in a 21-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks appeared to dominate the game but couldn’t make the big play, while the Steelers did—the final nail being a 43-yard touchdown pass on a reverse from wide receiver Antwaan Randel-El to the game’s MVP, Hines Ward. The victory was the crowning achievement of Bill Cowher’s coaching career, and he went out on top. Cowher was in his 15th as Pittsburgh’s coach and would retire after the Super Bowl.
But most scrutinized was the officiating that took away, at best, all of Seattle’s momentum—and, at worst, two potential Seahawks touchdowns. In the first quarter, a 16-yard Matt Hasselbeck touchdown pass to Darrell Jackson was called back on a questionable offensive pass interference penalty. And with the Seahawks trailing 14-10 in the fourth quarter, a Hasselbeck completion to tight end Jerramy Stevens got Seattle to the Pittsburgh one-yard line, only to have what many said was a phantom holding call move the ball back to the 29.
Meanwhile, former Boise State standout Kimo von Oelhoffen took home a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers. von Oelhoffen had the longest NFL career of any Broncos alumnus, playing 14 seasons. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994 and, in addition to the Steelers, also suited up for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. Von Oelhoffen spent six seasons with Pittsburgh and started 94 of the 95 games he played. The second-longest run by a Boise State product is still active, as Seattle’s DeMarcus Lawrence will wrap up his 12th NFL season in Super Bowl LX.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
